needy

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈniːdi/ See IPA manual

Freq #10693

Meanings

1

adj
Very poor and lacking the things needed to live.

The charity collects food and clothes for needy families.
2

adj
Wanting too much attention, love, or reassurance from others.

He became so needy that his friends found him exhausting.
3

noun
Poor people considered as a group.

The organization works to help the needy.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · very poor and lacking the... destitute impoverishedpoverty-stricken

Opposites

confidentself-sufficient

Word family

Forms needierneediest

Derived forms needihoodneedilyneedinessneedyhoodunneedy

Etymology

From Middle English nedy, nedi (“necessitous”), from Old English nēdiġ, *nīediġ ("of need, obligated, compelled"; found in the derivative nīediġnes (“obligation”)), from Proto-Germanic *naudigaz (“of need, forced, compelled”), equivalent to need + -y. Cognate with Scots nedy, neidy (“needy, necessitous, impoverished”), Saterland Frisian niedich (“miserable, poor, wretched, needy”), Saterland Frisian nöödich (“necessary, needful”), West Frisian nedich (“needful, needed”), Dutch nodig (“necessary”), Middle Low German nōdich (“necessary, urgent, by requirement”), German nötig (“necessary, needful…

nedy Middle English nēdiġ Old English *naudigaz Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# needy

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈniːdi/
**Frequency rank:** 10693

## Meanings
1. Very poor and lacking the things needed to live.
2. Wanting too much attention, love, or reassurance from others.
3. Poor people considered as a group.

## Examples
- The charity collects food and clothes for needy families.
- He became so needy that his friends found him exhausting.
- The organization works to help the needy.

## Antonyms
- confident
- self-sufficient

## Derived Forms
- needihood
- needily
- neediness
- needyhood
- unneedy

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: nedy
- Root: nēdiġ
- Root: *naudigaz

## Etymology
From Middle English nedy, nedi (“necessitous”), from Old English nēdiġ, *nīediġ ("of need, obligated, compelled"; found in the derivative nīediġnes (“obligation”)), from Proto-Germanic *naudigaz (“of need, forced, compelled”), equivalent to need + -y. Cognate with Scots nedy, neidy (“needy, necessitous, impoverished”), Saterland Frisian niedich (“miserable, poor, wretched, needy”), Saterland Frisian nöödich (“necessary, needful”), West Frisian nedich (“needful, needed”), Dutch nodig (“necessary”), Middle Low German nōdich (“necessary, urgent, by requirement”), German nötig (“necessary, needful…

## AI Etymology
Needy comes from Middle English nedy, nedi (“necessitous”), from Old English nēdiġ, *nīediġ ("of need, obligated, compelled"; found in the derivative nīediġnes (“obligation”)), from Proto-Germanic *naudigaz (“of need, forced, compelled”), equivalent to need + -y. Modern senses include very poor and lacking the things needed to live and wanting too much attention, love, or reassurance from others. The wider word family includes derivatives such as needihood, needily, neediness, needyhood, and unneedy.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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